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According to Pausanias, the settlement was founded by Locrians from nearby Thronium and Abantes from Euboea.[4]Stephanus Byzantius similarly attributes the foundation to Euboean Abantes "returning from the Trojan war".[5]Hesychius states that it was an Epirote settlement. One foundation legend had Elpenor, who actually dies at Troy, acting as a nostos and leading the colonists.[6] Their political leaders had titles like prytanis (Greek: πρύτανις, "the one that presides") and grammateus (Greek: γραμματεύς, "secretary"). The town was surrounded with a walled enclosure roughly 2,100m long. A large fort was built with two gates and two defensive towers in the north.

Its name was mentioned for the first time in the 4th century BC. It is situated on the slope of a high hill and had only its acropolis fortified. By the 3rd century BC, the town was strengthened economically and minted its own coins. The tribe itself was called Amantes.[7]